DRAMA! EMOTE! EXERAGERATE!

(Write a story about a person experiencing pre-performance jitters.)

I sit here thinking about all of the myriad things that could go wrong,  so many personalities and the slight chance that all things will click, that it will go smoothly!

I wonder why I volunteered  to coach this group!  A mistake or blown line or someone bursting into tears, or worse, like an avalanche where a few grains of frozen water or snow slips away from its base and slides downward,  taking more and more with it until a mountain of snow has been moved.   And disaster!  BUT, we are ready,  well,  we are prepared but any glitch could become a disaster!

“STOP”,  I yell at myself in my mind,  “You must have faith or the kids will sense your nerves!”   “All will go well,  I had a great teacher and I feel her with me tonight!”

~~~~~

I feel very tired and will be glad to have this,  whatever it turns out to be, behind me!  I close my eyes and the memories flood in behind my eyelids.  So long ago and yet so vivid!   

I was just a kid back then.  We were all a little bit in awe of our drama coach, she felt the parts, she could visualize how a character should stand, how to emphasize a good line,  how to keep the momentum going!  She was amazing

I hail from the Midwest and farming country and growing up, 4-H was a big part of our lives.  It kept kids busy and interested offering projects that were farm related but also other things for those of us not on a farm.  Each year all of the clubs in our county entered a drama competition and on a specified Saturday we would all meet,  perform our play and some persons from the university would judge the competition and award the traveling trophy.   It sounds rather small and low key but it was a BIG deal each spring.

~~~~~

Our group had chosen a play,  the members had tried out for parts and they had been decided.   Then we had begun rehearsals.  Our drama leader sat in the back of the room and I sat in an end seat in the front row.  My job was to feed lines if someone got hung up, forgetting a line or just freezing, which happened a bunch in the beginning.   

The play we chose was a comedy,  a take off of the child’s story, Snow White,  we all knew that story  but lines had been changed,  it was very clever,  and it was fun.  

The rehearsal had begun and Vern,  a loud and boisterous kid normally,  was speaking his lines so quietly and in a droning monotone that it was just plain bad.  

Our drama coach stood up and loud enough to be heard in Chicago, miles and hours away, began to scold or enlighten or educate us in the realities of drama.   

She began,  I want you to write down these words,  go home look them up, think about them until you understand!

DRAMA,  what is drama?

EMOTE,  how does one emote?

EXERAGERATE, why must we exaggerate?

Vern!  I’m not picking on you specifically but you have some of the best lines in the play!   Why not let the audience hear them?  Think about the line…..

“An Apple a day keeps the doctor away”...speak it  slow and clear.... then allow a long pause...now a direct look at the audience…finally,  louder and with a feeling of doom...”But a banana brings the undertaker!”

This exchange is golden...it sets the mood for the whole poison banana play.  

AND...the girl who plays the mirror….your line also must be to engage the audience!

A full length mirror had been cut from plywood,  it was oval and as tall as the child playing the part.  It had a painted brown frame and the mirror surface was painted silver.  An oval had been  cut out for the actor's face which was  covered in silver makeup, thus it allowed the mirror to speak and be heard.  It was well done, it was impressive!

Mirror,  when you say your lines, they must be loud and your laugh at the end must be loud and a bit evil sounding!

When the queen asks…”Mirror mirror on the wall,  who is the fairest of them all?”

You must hesitate for a few seconds and then in a mean sounding voice say loudly..”Well it sure isn’t you old Queenie,  (pause for two seconds)  “It is the fair Snow White”.  And then the evil , wild and out of control laughter!

And so it went each rehearsal,  our drama coach was amazing,  I had mixed feelings,  I was glad I had no pressure to speak a part so I could not fail but I also wished I had one of those great lines.  About the whole play there was this underlying feeling of wanting to please our coach more than win a stupid trophy.

Each rehearsal the coach had less and less to say.  The actors seemed to give each other courage.   Vern spoke his part  loud and strong and this gave the others in the cast something to emulate.   

Yes we won the trophy, and went out for burgers to celebrate but I sit here now wondering if our drama coach had pre-performance jitters.  Was she as nervous then as I feel now?    I realize it is too late to do much except do what I saw her do way back then.

Smile,  act confident,  tell the kids they were ready for Broadway!   Move about them touching costume parts, last minute comments and finally.   “Break a Leg!”

~~~~~

And now it is my turn.  Pre-performance jitters?   You bet I have them!   But I will appear confident and like I am having the best time of my life!  I will try to infuse the atmosphere with a bravado feeling of “‘Heck yes,  we’ve got this all the way!”  It is all I have left to give them.   

They are calling us now,  and it is a good thing,  I am nervous, I can imagine how the kids feel but I am a bit luckier than they are,  I have our old drama coach by my side...I would like to whisper,  remember,  DRAMA, EMOTE, EXERAGERATE!